Telegraph key



S- C. HOEY TELEGRAPH KEY Feb.- 12 1924.

Filed Dec. 14" 191s 'INVENTOR Jamue/Cb oey. BY

ATTORNEY WITNESSES Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL'C. HoEY,oE WIILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, asslenon T0WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA;

TELEGRAPH KEY.

Application filed December 14,1918. Serial No. 26:6',707.

1'0 azl whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. HOEY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in'Telegr'aphKeys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to telegraph keys, having particular relation tokeys for'use on portable wireless-transmission sending sets, and it hasfor its objectto provide a simple, rugged and inexpensive device of thecharacter indicated that shall be especially adapted for outdoor use ininclement weather.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a'key constructedin accordance with my invention and mounted within a casing enclosing asending set; Fig. 2 is a plan view and Fig. 3 is a side View, partiallyin section and partially in elevation, of the key shown in Fig. 1; andFig. 4 is a detail View showing the bottom of the key box in elevationand the contact members mounted on the supporting base and cooperatingtherewith.

Heretofore, it has been customary in manufacturing telegraph keysadapted for field service, to provide the key lever with a hinge jointso that it may be moved toroject from the enclosing casing when desired.However, such a key must always be projecting out over the edge of theenclosing casing or must have one portion of the lever bent to aposition substantially at right angles to the other portion, thusoccupying a larger amount of much needed space on the box on which it ismounted than is desirable. Also, if a lever arm of this character is ofheavy construction, it is clumsy and unnecessarily heavy, and if lightlyconstructed, the hinge therein tends to become loose and the key losesthe positive response to the touch so necessary for this type of work.

By my invention, I provide a lightly constructed key in which theactuating lever is a .solid arm and which can be used with the leverprojecting from the casing or with the lever entirely enclosed thereinwithout 00- cupying an undesirably large amount of space.

For a further understanding of my invention, reference may be had to thedrawings, in which I show a key consisting of an actuating lever 1 anda. box 2 comprising a shaft 3 upon which is mounted the actuating lever1 and anarm 4: supporting a movable contact member 5. .The amplitude ofmovement of the lever 1 is adjusted by means of a set screw. 6. Acontact member ismount: ed upon a base member 8 of insulating materialand is engaged by the contact member5 upon actuation of the lever 1. Thebase member. 8 has a cylindrical projection 9 mounted in a circularopening 10 in a base member 11, which is the instrument base in the box.The key lever and key box may both be rotated about the axis of thisopening when desired, an opening 12 in theside of the enclosingcasingpermitting the key to project therefrom with the box closed. The keylever 1, in its rotated position, is shown in dotsand-dash lines inFig. 1. A metallic plate-1'3 is fastened to thebase portion 9 to preventthe keybox from becoming displaced from theopening 10 and iselectrically connected to the contact member 5 to serve as acollectorplate when engaged by a metallic brush 14111131 is mounted uponthe stationary base 11. A contact member 15, that is connected to thecontact member 7 and is insulated from the plate 13, engages an arcuateshaped contact member 16 which is also mounted upon the stationarysupporting member 11..

By inverting the key boxcasting before attaching the lever arm 1thereto, the lever may be mounted upon the opposite side of the key box,the only alteration necessary 90 being to provide a new hole for the setscrew 6.

While I have shown only one form of my invention, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible tovarious minor changes and modifications without departing from thespirit thereof and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shallbe placed thereupon as are imposed by the'prior art or are specif- 1ically'set forth inthe appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A telegraph keycomprising an actuating lever and a rotatable basemember, and two collector members mounted on said base 1 and twostationary contact members adapted to engage said collector members,co-operating collectormembers and contact members being continuously inengagement for all positions of said base member.

2. A telegraphkey,oomprisingpair actuats. mg levels-mounted on a keybox,:and .a support therefor, said key box being rotatably mounted ,on saidsupport and means for maintaining thegsame connections .for allpositions of said key box;

3. A telegraph key comprising an actuat-,.

ing lever mounted on a key box, an insulating support therefor,zsaidwkeybox-1 being rotatably mounted on saidsupport, a collector ring mounted.on. said. key :box, ZIDdx-ib brushoadapted' to engagesaid collectorrlng. r

and :mounted on said; support. a

4. A telegraph key comprising. an actuate lfii sings levenmounted uponiakeybox, an in-w sulating; support tl1erefor,-said key box bewingirot-atably mounted: on said support, a a :1 collector ringand a brushmountedupon Within said casing as to cause said'key to; be enclosedWithin sald easing-,-When at onezend of lits areuate path andito'project therefrom When at the other. end of itsvpaths of amovable-supporting; member. therefor, and; 2111;11'1Sl3]3-L11Il611t case1n Which "saidv vsupporting memberis mounted, the movement, Of-SELlClsupportlng memberzbelng such that "M rthe handle ,of said-key may be,:eit h'er en- 6. The combination-Withgja telegraph key,-

closedawithin said caseor projected; outside thereof. a

7. The comblnation With a supportlng base, of, a member movablyseeuredto said isupport, a telegraph key carried by sa1d movable'member,and means for maintaining the same electrical connections for allpositions of said movable member.

8.111 a telegraph key, a movable key box, a key carried by said box andaccessible .from the outside thereof said key having itscircuit-interrupting -contacts positioned within said box, and means formaintaining the same "electrical connections for all posi- .tions ofsaid .box.

9. The combination with a movable box,

of:- a key -.comprising"an operating element outside of said box, andmeans for maintain 111g: the, same electrical ioonnections for allpositions :of said box.

10. The-combinationwith a supporting base, of a key box movablysecuredthereto,

a telegraph key carried by said movable member, said-:key having itscircuit-interrupting; contacts: positioned Within said box, and meansfor, insuringv the sameelectrical connectionsefor all positions of thebox.-

In testimony Whereof,-1I have hereunto:

subscribed my nameMthi'sQnd dayof Dec. 1918.

SAMUEL 4C, HOEY;

.pivotally carried by said box and a coacting L stationary contactelement :posltioned Within said abox, said key being accessible from the

